Top stories from DAWNS Digest.
Sudan Launches Major Attack on South Sudan
The border conflict between the Sudans escalated over the weekend. “Sudanese forces launched a major attack along the border with South Sudan after the South Sudanese army withdrew from a disputed oil field on Friday, signaling that the recent border war between the two countries is not yet over and might be entering a new phase. Thirty-five miles south of the border, at the nearest town, the only sign of the fighting was trucks offloading wounded soldiers at hospitals. Medics at a military hospital and a civilian hospital, where the more serious cases were taken, said that the soldiers came in with gunshot wounds and that they described heavy ground fighting south of the border. At the South Sudanese military barracks on the edge of town, Maj. Gen. Mac Paul, South Sudan’s deputy military intelligence chief, said the Sudanese attack started at 1:30 p.m. and continued in several waves. Paul said the Sudanese forces had pushed as far as six miles into South Sudan’s territory before being repulsed back to Tishwin.” (Miami Herald http://bit.ly/JZSolG)
Plus…
A Reuters reporter outside the oil town and South Sudan Unity state capital Bentiu said he saw a Sudanese fighter aircraft drop two bombs near a river bridge between Bentiu and the neighboring town of Rubkona. 3 people were killed. (Reuters http://reut.rs/I4F5p2)
South Sudan says its military forces have retreated from the disputed Heglig oil field in Sudan. (AFP http://yhoo.it/ImIhsO) BUT, it seems that a key oil pipeline in Heglig has been destroyed, potentially causing an immediate cessation of exports from the field. ( Satellite Sentinel Project http://bit.ly/JZUCBm)
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said Monday there will be no more talks with South Sudan…”No negotiation with those people,” Bashir said of the South Sudanese regime, which he earlier described as an “insect” that must be eliminated. (AFP http://bit.ly/I4FZlh)